TypeAloud vs Superwhisper
A Superwhisper alternative
with nothing behind a Pro plan.
Superwhisper's free plan already runs Whisper on your Mac. Its Pro plan, at $8.49 a month, $84.99 a year or $249.99 once, adds AI modes, cloud models and more local models. TypeAloud is free and open source with no paid tier, and its local model is Qwen3-ASR instead of Whisper.
TypeAloud and Superwhisper compared
| TypeAloud | Superwhisper | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free plan; Pro at $8.49/month, $84.99/year or $249.99 once |
| Local speech model | Qwen3-ASR 0.6B, or 1.7B as an option | Whisper on the free plan; Parakeet and Cohere Transcribe with Pro |
| Word limit | None with a local model | None for local Whisper models |
| Source code | Open source (GPL-3.0) | Closed source |
| AI rewriting modes | No. It writes what you said | Pro: message, email, custom and context-aware modes |
| Meeting and file transcription | No | Meetings on Mac; file transcription with Pro |
| Platforms | macOS; Windows and Linux builds are experimental | Mac, Windows, iOS and Android |
Competitor details checked on 18 Oct 2026 against superwhisper.com, superwhisper.com/docs/get-started/sw-pro. Prices and limits change; the official pages are authoritative.
Both are local. The model is the difference.
Superwhisper's free plan and TypeAloud both transcribe on your Mac with no word limit, so price alone does not decide it. What you dictate does.
TypeAloud runs Qwen3-ASR, which works out the language from the audio itself. A sentence that starts in Chinese and switches to English halfway is written down as you said it, with no language setting to change first. Whisper picks one language per recording, and mixed sentences are where it slips most often.
Every feature is in the free app
There is no Pro plan to unlock. The larger Qwen3-ASR 1.7B model (about 2.52 GB), the dictionary and automatic replacements, History with retry for failed transcriptions, and the optional cloud mode with your own Groq or OpenAI key are all part of the same free download.
The source is on GitHub under GPL-3.0, so you can check exactly what happens to your audio.
Where Superwhisper is the better choice
Superwhisper's Pro modes rewrite what you say into an email, a message or your own format, and Super Mode adapts to what is on screen. TypeAloud gives you a faithful transcript and leaves the wording to you.
Superwhisper also records meetings, transcribes audio files and has iPhone and Android apps. If you need those, or want your speech turned into finished prose, Superwhisper fits better.
Common questions
- Is TypeAloud free in the same way as Superwhisper's free plan?
- TypeAloud has no paid plan at all. Local transcription, both Qwen3-ASR model sizes and every feature are free. Optional cloud transcription uses your own Groq or OpenAI key, which those providers may charge for.
- Can I still use Whisper?
- Not as a local model. Locally TypeAloud runs Qwen3-ASR. Whisper is available through the optional cloud mode, with your own Groq or OpenAI API key.
- Does my audio leave my Mac?
- Not in local mode. The model runs on your device and transcripts are saved there. Audio is only uploaded if you choose a cloud engine with your own API key.
- Which Macs can run it?
- Apple Silicon is recommended for local dictation. The recommended model is a one-time download of about 1 GB.
Local transcription. No account. No subscription.
Download for Mac